Have you decided to rent a villa? Congratulations!
Now comes the next step: choosing a villa rental agency. You have your choice of companies, as well the option to rent directly from a villa owner. Here are some points to keep in mind when embarking on the search for a villa.
Owner-Direct vs. Agency
Many property owners choose to work directly with the customer and you’ll find many personal web sites devoted to showcasing their homes. The upside to renting from the owner is that you, the customer, avoids agency fees and can communicate directly. The downside to owner-direct rentals is that often, a home’s shortcomings get overlooked since the owner has so much invested in his/her property. Agencies can be more objective and implement quality control measures. In addition, owner-direct transactions most likely occur via email only; due to language barriers and time zone differences, picking up the phone to speak to an owner about small details related to your rental is not a simple proposition.
Not all Agencies are Created Equal
When you select a rental company, consider the following points:
- How long has the company been in business?
- Do they have firsthand, personal knowledge of their properties?
- Are they readily accessible via phone and email?
- Do property descriptions include detailed info?
- Can you view property availability with an online calendar?
- Are there comments or reviews from previous renters?
What Makes RentVillas Different
- Rentvillas.com was one of the first villa rental companies in the US. We’ve been in business since 1984.
- Rentvillas.com offers a free Travel Advisor service. Call 1-800-726-6702 or 1-805-880-1228 during business hours (8:30 AM t0 5:30 PM PST) and you’ll be assigned a personal Travel Advisor who will assist you with all aspects of the trip planning process. Our world-traveled, multilingual staff members are an excellent resource for ideas about where to stay and what to do when you’re there.
- Our villas an apartments are all high quality, company-inspected properties. We write the descriptions and add the photos for each and every villa or apartment on our site. Many vacation rental sites allow owners (or anyone else) to post their properties online and then leave it up to you to find out the real truth. RentVillas.com is different. We want you to know the truth before you go!
- We publish our previous renters’ candid reviews so that you know what they liked most and least about their stays. We accept reviews only from our clients. You don’t have to worry about property owners posting their own “reviews.”
- Rentvillas.com offer a Best Price Guarantee: If you find one of our properties listed on another site for less, let us know and we’ll match the price and credit your 90 USD for your effort.
How Does it Work?
RentVillas.com features convenient real-time availability and booking for many properties. You can browse by country and instantly organize properties based on your dates and desired price with the Quick Filter. Once you’ve selected properties that meet your criteria, store your choices in your personal Suitcase. Via your Suitcase you can request a hold, confirm your booking, and make payments.
Don’t want to browse? One of our complimentary Travel Advisors would love to chat. She’ll ask a few questions and recommend properties based on your specific needs. Just give us a ring: 1-800-726-6702.
“I am a Rentvillas customer. Traveling to another country where everything is different — the power outlets, the language, the time they eat lunch — is scary and intimidating, especially if you vacation with your children. In this frame of mind, I found Rentvillas four years ago, when planning a trip to France. I used them again for my 